Piano action



July 12, 1938. DAVIDSON 2,123,526

PIANO ACTION Filed Sept. 27, 1937 W., VA

F317 l I Patented July 12, 1938 PATENT OFFICE PIANO Ashley A. Davidson,

of thirty-one ACTION L'os Angeles, Calif., assignor percent to VaughnGilbert and twenty percent to Mortimer Rich Application September 27,1937, Serial No. 165,867

4 Claims.

In the manufacture of a certain type of piano, that is, the low, uprighttype, it becomes necessary to place the piano action mechanism lowerdown in the case, below the level of the keyboard.

It is also necessary in modern pianos that reater care be used inthe-connections between the keys of the key-board and the hammer action,and that no friction and no drag be possible, for the keys and the keyaction must be very sensitive in touch and also in return to normalpositions.

It is the object of my invention to overcome these objections and toprovide a piano action which will be most accurate in its movements,sensitive in its response to the manipulations of the keys of thekey-board, and which can be maintained in perfect alinement.

I am able to accomplish this by providing a rocker wippen lift lever,with adjustments therefor, and with anti-friction bearing means betweenthe end of said lift lever and the wippen or jack-lifting member, thusmaking the action sensitive and free from drag.

In order to describe my invention, 1' have illustrated the same on theaccompanying sheet of drawings in connection with the standard parts ofa piano action, as the same are adapted to the low type of uprightpiano, though it will be understood that my invention can be applied tomost any type of piano action where sensitiveness and quick response tomanipulations is required.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, I will describe more in detailthe embodiment of my invention as here illustrated:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view through the upper part of a lowpiano, showing my invention embodied therein;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1to show a detail of construction; and

Figure 3- is a modified embodiment of my invention, only the partshaving to do with my invention being shown.

In the manufacture of a certain type of piano, it is the aim to have itlow and this necessitates the placing of the piano action lower down inthe case than in the taller pianos.

Most of the mechanism in Fig. 1 of the drawing herewith is old and wellunderstood and need not be described in detail.

A vertical plate or member 5 carries the strings 6 in the usual manner.A hammer I, on a stem or shank 8, with a hammer butt 9 is operable forstriking the string. A jack I0,

is pivotally supported, as at H,

on a wippen or jack rocker l2, and when this wippen is raised, itoperates through the jack I0 and the butt of the hammer to actuate saidhammer 1 against the string, all 5 in the usual and well known manner.

The piano key is designated l3, pivotally supported in place at M, withsuitable guide pin l5 at its forward end.

In effective piano playing, it is necessary that 10 the movements of thekeys be sensitive and that there be no friction or drag, so that thekeys and connections will return instantly to their normal positions. Itis to improve this piano action that my invention has been worked out.

In accomplishing this, I have shown attached to the reaward end of thekey IS, a metal bar it which is thence extended downwardly andrearwardly Lshape, as at l6 and have provided the end thereof with anopen slot H, which moves 2 over an upstanding pin l8, set in a base orbed member i9, with a piece of felt 2B thereunder as a soft, flexiblecushion support for the L-portion of said member it, as clearlyillustrated.

Pivotally mounted upon this L-portion i6 is a lift lever 2i, having afulcrum portion 22, held in place on said member H5 by means of a screw23, with sufficient clearance to permit the rocking movement of saidlever 2i.

At the outer end of said lever 2i is a wippen lift roller 245,positioned to bear upwardly against a felt pad 25 on the under side ofthe wippen or jack rocker i2, as clearly indicated. As these feltmembers sometimes become Worn or packed, it is necessary to providemeans for adjustment for accuracy. For this purpose I have provided atthe opposite end of the lever ii a spring support with a screw, as at26, whereby the finest adjustment can be made. Said screw 2% screws intosaid L-pcrtion it, as does also the screw 23. 4c

The metal bar member is has an advantage in that it can be slightly bentat any time, if necessary, to keep the keys in perfect register andalinement. The lift roller 24 may also have the usual felt or otheranti-friction bearing at it. A coiled spring 23' may also be placedaround the screw 23, in the upper side of the lift lever 2i.

Thus I have provided a sensitive, no-drag connection between the lowerend of the member 6 and the wippen or jack lifting member i2, withprovision for accuracy adjustments so that all parts can be maintainedin proper contact and alinement and be instantly responsive to touch, orto return to normal positions.

In Fig. 3 I have shown some slight modiflcations to accomplish much thesame result. The similar parts are similarly numbered. Instead of astraight wippen, I have provided a wippen member 12' having under itsend a kind of saddle formation, with felt lining, as designated at 27,and have provided a pivoted finger 28, on the end of the lift lever,designated 2i, said lift lever having under its opposite end a spring29, and an adjustment screw 30, screwed into the L.- portion it of themember it. I

It is to be understood that my improved fea-- tures of a piano actionare such as can be adapted to the standard action and is applicablethereto, thus making it possible of application to present standardactions without much reconstruction thereof and also making it possibleto correct the imperfections in some standard actions with littleexpense compared with a complete new action.

While I have shown and described one practical embodiment of myinvention, I am aware that changes in the details of construction andarrangement can be made therein without departing from the spiritthereof, and I do not, therefore, limit the invention to the showingmade for explanatory purposes, except as I may be limited by the heretoappended claims.

I claim:

1. A piano action for connecting the key thereof with the hammerthereof, through the wippen, which includes a depending member connectedat its upper end with the rearward end of the key, and at its lower endhaving an angle portion, a lever pivotally supported on said angleportion, said lever having means at one end for adjusting it, andanti-friction means interposed between the other end of said lever andsaid wippen, whereby the movement of said lever moves said wippen andsaid hammer.

2. In a piano action, the combination with a key, a hammer, and awippen, of a member connected with the rearward end of said key anddepending therefrom and having an L-portion at its lower end, a leverpivotally supported on said L-portion, said lever having screw means atone end for adjusting it up and down, and a movable element connectingthe other end of said lever operatively with said wippen, whereby themovement of said lever from said key operates through said lever to movesaid wippen.

3. A piano action mechanism connecting the key with the hammer thereofwhich includes in combination: a member connected with the rearward endof said key and depending therefrom and having at its lower end anL-portion extending rearwardly, a movement transmitting lever pivotallymounted upon said L-portion, adjustment means at one end of said leverfor raising or lowering it, and means at the other end of said lever forengaging and moving the hammer actuating mechanism, said means includingan anti-friction roller for transmitting movement from said lever.

4. In a piano action, the combination with the key, the hammer, the jackand the wippen, of a downwardly depending member from said key having anangular portion at its lower end, a lever pivotally supported on saidangular portion, intermediate its ends, spring and screw means at oneend for adjusting said lever, and anti-friction means including a feltpad, interposed between the other end of said lever and said wippen,whereby key-movement is transmitted through said pivoted lever to saidwippen, jack and hammer.

ASHLEY A. DAVIDSON.

